I've just finished reading
La Bella Joya's wonderful post on the amateur phase of jewelry making. It really got me to thinking about where I am with my jewelry and where I want to be. I don't remember when I picked up my first set of pliers and mangled some sterling silver wire into a pendant, I just remember that the feeling was heaven. I haven't looked back since. It went from gemstones, glass, and wire, to seed beads, to soda cans, and who knows where it will lead. And yes, that feeling that you get when people say "You made that?!" is still very much with me. The only trouble is that "How much?" has been added on to it. Don't get me wrong, I am
thrilled to have a client base that wants to buy my work. It makes it a whole lot easier to keep myself in bead supplies now that they little gems are paying for themselves. That said, I've just spent the past 2 weeks preparing for a big sale that I have two more weeks to prep for, and I'm exhausted. Mainly, I'm tired of making what feels like the same pair of earrings over and over again. While I would love to be spending my time cutting up soda cans and experimenting with bottle caps, I have a deadline to meet. And what would be the point of making a whole lot of earrings that haven't been "tested", meaning simply that I don't know if people would actually buy them. Well, the point would be that this is very much where my free spirit artsy soul wants to play right now. So, where do I draw the line between supplying and creating. I wish I had an answer. I could not be more grateful to the amazing people who have purchased my jewelry, and I want them to keep coming back. I also want time to play! How do I manage the 2? Any suggestions?
